Punjab Public Service Commission doctors applications

PPSC rejected applications of doctors
Lahore, Jan 6: The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) has
rejected applications of doctors with honorary house job experience for posts of
medical officer.

It has caused panic among the candidates who had
completed their one-year house job on honorary basis in the hospitals recognized
by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). The candidates complained
that the PPSCs objection would deny them a fair chance to compete for the posts
of medical officers, jeopardizing their future.

Presently, the PPSC is
in the process of scrutinizing the applications of lady doctors for interviews,
to be held from January 11 to 28 for over 270 posts of women medical officers in
the Punjab Health Department. The Commission, during the process of scrutiny,
sent rejection letters to the scores of lady doctors, who had done their house
jobs on honorary basis, out of the total up to 1,500 to 2,000
applicants.

The candidates said that the PPSC had earlier also rejected
male candidatesí applications by objecting to their house jobs on honorary
basis, depriving several candidates of their right to compete for the posts of
medical officers. However, the PPSC had already completed interviews of male
doctors and recommended the successful candidates for appointment on 1,260 posts
of medical officers in hospitals, whereas the candidates, whose applications
were rejected, lost a chance to compete for the posts.

Sources said that
PPSC had rejected the applications because they did not consider honorary house
job equivalent to paid house job.

The candidates said the medical
graduates were forced to do house jobs on honorary basis because of the
unavailability of enough number of paid seats in hospitals. 'The medical
graduates are doing their house jobs on honorary basis in all teaching hospitals
of Lahore,' they said, adding that the applications had been rejected mostly of
those doctors who had completed their house job from the Services Hospital
because the administration had mentioned the word 'honorary' or 'paid' on their
experience certificates of doctors.

'No other hospital mentions these words on
experience certificates of doctors. Therefore, doctors of other hospitals didn't
have to face such an embarrassing situation,' they added.

The lady
doctors of Services Hospital said that the PPSC had also rejected the
explanation by the Medical Superintendent of Services Hospital, who explained in
a letter written to the PPSC secretary that honorary and paid house job were
equivalent. When candidates approached the PPSC, they quoted them as saying that
they could entertain their applications only on the request of the Punjab Health
Department secretary. They demanded the health department explain to the PPSC to
give all candidates a fair chance to compete for the posts.

When
contacted, Services Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Javed said that
PPSC had rejected applications of their candidates with honorary house jobs for
the first time. However, he said, they had written a letter to the PPSC to
explain the situation with a request to entertain the applications of the
candidates, who had completed their house job, whether on honorary.

When
contacted, PPSC Chairman Lt Gen Sabahat Hussain and Secretary Javed Iqbal
Chaudhry could not be contacted for commissionís version. A couple of PPSC
members, including Azhar Hasan Nadeem and a PPSC Protocol Officer Imdad Ali,
could neither explain the policy nor facilitate the contact with the secretary
or the chairman of the Commission.

Additional Secretary (Technical) Dr
Mushtaq Ahmad said he was not aware of the matter, adding the health department
would act as soon as they received any query in this regard.

Doctors warned of action
Lahore: The Punjab Health Department has taken notice of the irregularity by some House
Officers/Postgraduate trainees who are involved in private practice/part-time
jobs at private hospitals in violation of the policy.

The Punjab Health
Department, through a notification issued on December 14, 2009 by Deputy
Secretary ME, directed all principals of the medical colleges that it had been
noticed that some HOs/PGs were involved in private practice at private
hospitals, which was a clear violation of the policy, as this was a whole time
residential job and not entitled/authorized for private practice. The news

Police deployed outside Kinnaird College
Lahore: Police officers including women personnel were deployed outside
Kinnaird College (KC) on Tuesday to prevent any protests by students from
getting out of hand.

KC Principal Dr Bernadette L Dean said the Punjab home
secretary, in view of Monday's protests, deputed the police personnel there.
Academic activities at the college were continuing on schedule, she
said.

Separately, KC Board of Governors Chairman Dr Alexander John Malik
denied that any teachers had been sacked, or an inquiry instituted against the
college principal.

Security personnel deployed outside the
college premises were seen carrying teargas shells and batons, while there was
strict security at the gate, with all students being thoroughly checked before
being allowed to enter. Fortunately, they did not have to use them, as both
students and faculty members remained peaceful.

Azra Perveen, a female police
inspector said that they were deployed to maintain peace in the
college.

The protests began on Monday, when several students and faculty
members demonstrated against the sacking of seven teachers, who had protested
the appointment of Naima Khursheed as the college's first registrar.

Farukh
Sohail, a teacher at the college said that she had been associated
with the college for several years, but this was the first time police had been
deployed at the premises. She said the right to hold a peaceful demonstration
was granted by the state to every citizen, which could not be denied.

A
student, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the majority of the student
body had avoided the protests for fear of being beaten by police, adding that
all the students were asking for was a fair inquiry into the teachers'
dismissal.

According to another faculty member, a majority of the faculty and
students at KC did not have a problem with the principal or the newly appointed
registrar. She said the students were the worst-affected, adding that teachers
had asked all their pupils to remain focused on their studies and not take
sides.

Also on Tuesday, Lahore Bishop Dr Alexander John Malik
issued a statement denying the allegations leveled against KC. According to the
statement, "no teachers have been sacked and no inquiry has been instituted
against the principal... [who] enjoys the full confidence of the board. A
fact-finding committee has been constituted to look into faculty issues and...
address grievances and generate a series of recommendations." Daily times

CM essay competitions
Lahore: Chief Minister Punjab Provincial Urdu / English
Essay Writing Competitions of all levels from primary to postgraduate
level were held at Cluster Examination Center of BISE Lahore on Tuesday.

As many as 540 students from nine divisions of the Punjab participated
in these contests. The topic for students of primary level was "Is Mulak Ko
Rakhna Meray Bacho Sambhal Kay", middle level "Taleem Mein Computer Ka Kirdar",
"Youth is the Builder of Our Nation", Secondary Level "Example is better than
precept" and "Taasubaat Ki Buniyad Jehalat Hai".

For intermediate,
degree and postgraduate levels were chosen through balloting. The participants
of intermediate wrote essays on "Yaksan Nizam-e-Taleem", "Global Warming is a
threat to life on earth".